The Nightmare
by Rudy Dale
Summary: A new "hero" is on the foot in Robin's old stomping grounds of Blüdhaven. Things get out of control and the Commisioner calls the Teen Titans to tutor the young vigilante.
1. Chapter 1

Jump City, home of excitement and suspense. If Los Angeles was the city of Angels; and New York was the Big Apple, Jump City shared an identity that was less boastful in its confidence. Citizens seen it every day on their way to work. The young faces that acted as protection from the worlds deadliest villains seeking to rule the world with an iron fist and catch some sun. The big giant T in the sky, on its own island stood over the city like a mini-Chrysler Building. Though odd in its design, Titans Tower gave the people of Jump City the feeling of safety; like your fire station.

Living together for three years, the Teen Titans still struggled with the all mighty task of dealing with each other on a constant, never ending basis. Getting accustomed to one another's habits to not only successfully coexist with them, but to work together is impossible. Somehow they pull it off. Day after day. Taking turns saving each other from certain death; risking their necks for others personal demons; never letting the other make the wrong choice; being that emotional anchor when needed. Two took to the skies, one equipped with proton blasters, the other is a green shapeshifter, and lastly the fully human vigilante. Lacking any spectacular other worldly abilities that couldn't be duplicated on this planet. A house of weirdos. Jump City didn't see them as that. It seen them as the Teen Titans.

Outside is the ruins of the outdoor training facility Cyborg promised to fix. Taken to an early grave by Terra. Beast Boy can't bare to look at the sight. Starfire's room is still boarded up with ply wood after her Starbolts shot from her green eyes to the purple walls. Robin meant to talk to her about that. Raven's room is still dark as ever. Beast Boy tries to emulate her by finding his own bookworm, reading as much as she. It was an attempt to get closer, it would have worked if Raven didn't call Stephen King "To Cheerful." After that, he didn't dare take a peak into what she was absorbing. If he could, he'd gladly send it back to hell where the work probably belongs.

Robin looked at himself confidentially in the mirror. Fixing his bow tie, and adjusting his mask that sealed his upper face from the public. Beast Boy lay sideways in the doorframe. "Dude, if you want to take Starfire on a date, you better take that mask off. It doesn't match the ensemble." He was right. Although nobody would buy a story that an intergalactic female would hitch her wagon to a lowly earthling for whatever reason. "I should take fashion advice from you, Beast Boy? You've been wearing the same clothes for three years." Robin teased, still holding that smile that was more dumb than confident. "Besides, you know I have to conceal myself." All done. A black tux that he inexplicably took from Gotham from his big departure from the east. Wasn't easy finding a tailor in Jump City. So this dusty old piece had to do. "So you taking her for breakfast at the Waffle Iron?" Beast Boy laughed, pointing to the early time on the clock. Robin turned back, laughing a little at himself. "No, just a test run." When Beast Boy left him alone, Robin threw on his normal attire. Green tight leggings that always made him feel like one of Santa's elves. The red vest didn't help combat that notion. Black steel toed boots with yellow laces. For kicks.

Robin's feet stepped on top of one of the rolled of newspaper pages laying waste on the floor. He always meant to clean this up. Seeing the bold black print on the front page, dated December 29th, 2006, titled: _Nightmare Strikes Again!_ Robin's been hearing of this new guy stomping around his old grounds in Blüdhaven, the home of his first solo act. Didn't go well. His mentor said he'd keep watch of this guy and nothing has changed in his erratic behavior. Something always blows up or gets torn down with Nightmare involved. It's a miracle nobodies been killed on his watch.

Kicking the print aside, Robin made way to the breakfast table where somebody got their hands on the utensils. He hoped it wasn't Raven again. That _really_ would mean the end of the world.

The smell of burnt garbage filled the air. Oh, no. Holding his stomach, Robin approached the pan hosting a green gooey...thing. Robin was in the midst turning green himself, when Starfire gave him a hardy slap on the back that nearly sent his face in the hot metal container. "Good morning, boyfriend Robin, it is nice of you to join us!" She said, very excited. Robin held in his back, wondering if he had to pop a bone back into place. "Come sit, breakfast is almost ready!" No it wasn't, Robin thought to himself, taking his seat with all the other reluctant Titans' members. "Tell me about it." Raven said in her usual deadpan voice, obviously reading her companions mind. Robin looked at her, flabbergasted at first, she gave him a little smile in return, before dawning her hood over her head where it will stay...

What possessed Starfire to take up cooking duties again, the world will never know. The dishes hit the table like atom bombs, their stomachs prepared for the aftermath of digestion. "Uh, Cyborg, you got a way for us to get out of this?" Raven whispered. Whatever it is Starfire cooked, it was moving. Robin felt obligated to try the chow, only when inhaling its scent, again, his face turned greener than Beast Boy's. Well, he knew this was a risk when he made his advancements on her. With one swoop of his spoon, it gathered the shaky substance. He didn't look at it, Robin just shoved it in his mouth as fast as he could. Feeling like he came back from the dead, Robin held the chunk down.

Cyborg thought. "Hey, Beast Boy, want to see my new hot rod?" He winked to his friends in the most obvious way, hoping Starfire wasn't aware earthly of farces. "No, Cyborg -" Beast Boy said in the same tone of voice as Cyborg's. Being stopped in mid sentence by a right elbow from Raven. "Ow! I mean, sure." He saved himself, flashing a wide grin. "Let's take the food down to the garage." Raven played along, picking up the bowls with her telekinetic ability. The group made haste to escape their fate.

Starfire rose from her seat with a posture that matched a politician making a rebuttal. "If you do not like my food, then I suggest you be honest about your feelings." She said, while the Titans were in the middle of leaving. Raven laid down the bowls on the table. "Sorry, Starfire," Beast Boy rubbed his shoulder in slight shame. "We should have considered your feelings." Raven said added. Robin didn't say anything. Mired by guilt, he consumed all of the mysterious food. "I don't know what you guys are talking about. This stuffs great Starfire!" He tried to save himself from embarrassment. He swore he heard a bone crunch in his mouth. Laughing nervously, Robin almost barfed from what he had consumed. "Robin..." Starfire gave him a _I want honesty glare_.

He sighed, setting his bowl on the counter. "It isn't good." He admitted. "It isn't worse than Raven's cooking." Beast Boy tried to ease the tension. Raven gave him that red glowing eyes of death he wish he never got. Starfire looked up to her friends, at least her friends fessed up when the charade was up. With a big grin she swiped the bowls off the table, crashing into pieces. "Let's order pizza with the toppings." She proposed. Relief came across the gangs faces.

"So, this is the new hot rod?" Raven took a gander at Cyborg's new heartthrob. Resembled more of 1985 Lamborghini Jalpa, if it had four doors. "Laced with the finest gadgets from your latest James Bond flick." Cyborg proclaimed, going full infomercial on the Titans. "Duel steering, 700 horsepower, a new record may I add. Built in computer that can sense danger coming from a 500 yard radius; blasters equipped on the sides and a seat ejector that can be used only by my thumb print. And it is all ours!" He said in that _you've won a brand new car voice._

"How long you've been working on this, Cyborg?" Robin asks. He looked inside to see the leather chairs and the new GameX console plugged in the back seat. Was he watching Pimp My Ride again? "Six months. After the first T Car got junked, I wanted to go back to the drawing board as soon as possible." With a flip of a switch, loud music started to play. The garage shook with the high volume speakers destroying the Titans ear drums. Cyborg realized he sat on the remote and nonchalantly pushed the off button. "Sorry about that. Don't worry, the ringing only last for a minute." He said to the people who's heads felt like they were on a swivel.


	2. Chapter 2 Cold, Wet Blüdhaven Nights

Sunlight switched to a dimly lit moonlight. Archie waited for this moment for hours, a predatory look in his eyes before slipping the black mask over his head. Taking a big breath, Archie's identity changed with the sky. Gone and not to be seen for several hours. For now, he was humoring another side of himself, a dangerous side. A loud _whoosh_ , followed by a _clank_ of metal sends him from skyscraper to skyscraper. Wind hitting Archie's face like a General Electric air conditioner. Feeling free... well, semi-free. He did have the mask after all.

His vigilance detects soft opera music, 50 _klicks_ away from where he was standing. Alright, first come, first served. His blood rushed, his heart raced. Archie lived his experiences like fantasies, coming across to his people with a little bit of a bloodlust. Signs hung around the city, what Archie dealt with every night, escalated debate on his activities. _Chase him, throw him in jail. -Give him the key to the city._ All of the hate/needless love on his character. To the people of Blüdhaven, Archie Haven was just the son of the mayor - At night, Arch played hero.

Landing prettily inside the oil refinery, Archie saw the tape recorder spewing a melody. His leather thumb tapped the red stop button. Archie tried to put the machine in his back pocket but an invisible force kept him from doing so. Triggering a silo tipping over and drenching him in what smelled like kerosene. Disgusted, Archie spit thin spurts of the liquid out of his pink mouth. Soaked from head to toe in the stuff, Archie made a point to get away from the refinery. The doors were locked. A spotlight appeared as if to cue his line. "Hello, Mr. Nightmare." A man appeared from the shadows, dressed well for the occasion. Standing 6 foot ten, well cut, middle aged, sporting a blue three piece suit that was to die for. "Oh, you didn't have time to get spruced up I see." He teased. Archie didn't look too intimidating now, certainly not like someone that would be referred to as _Nightmare._

The short height wasn't enough; his scrawny, bony body hugged by the generic black fabric. "What do you want Balbino?" Archie gritted through his teeth, swatting his arms like he was a fly, to futilely get the kerosene off him. Archie saw the water tower hovering over the main building. "Aren't we on a first name basis, kid? Call me Faust." Faust laughed. Snapping his fingers, his thugs surrounded the area, three of them approaching Archie with the intention of disarming him. Taking one hand he armed right for the left arm socket, missing by a foot. His reward for effort was an elbow to the back. Now laying face first in kerosene, some dripped down his gullet. One of the men picked up him to his feet, gave another punch to the ribs this time, then proceeded to go for the mask. "No! Keep it on." Faust smiled. "I don't care who you really are Mister Nightmare, I don't care what race, gender, age you happen to be. All I know is you have been a thorn in my side; hijacking my shipments, stealing my imports and filling this city's youngsters with the belief people like me can be stopped!" Faust loved a good mystery. Wasn't so keen on the whole resolve of them. Taking out a cigarette, lighting up the nicotine poison, Archie knew where this was going. Faust men left him to enjoy his fiery burial.

"You want me to beg?!" He asks, going through his storage only to find little item of use. Faust smiled. "No." Was all he needed to say. Turning his back before throwing the match over his shoulder into the kerosene.

With one backflip and a timed jump Archie escaped instant death, only suffering a burn in the suits fabric. But his escape options were limited. The pump jack got hotter and hotter, the fire crept up due to the leakage from Archie's boot. This was it. Not on patrol for an hour and already the end is nigh.

Focusing his sights on the water tower again. Enabling his boot knife, Archie cut the line, swinging himself across the area onto the water tower. Using his steel toed boot, Archie made a significant hole in the tower. With a swift kick the wall came down and he was drenched in sweet relief, but flung over the railing. The water killed the fire. But now Archie clung to his life. "Oh, man. I really should have thought this through!" He complained. Slowly willing his way back to the ground. Looking at the damage he's done; it was yet another failure on the job.

He set his sights on redemption, on Faust Balbino. Eyeing his classic gold sedan. He thanked his lucky stars for the mobsters indifference to blending in. He searched himself once more to make sure the thugs didn't take away all his goods. Good fortune again smiled down on him. His trusty Swiss Army knife, black handling, with a line launcher attached inside.

A thin black line sprayed from the knife, attaching itself to a billboard across the street.

Outside Balbino looked at the glorious fire. Grinning ear to ear. He wasn't interested in games. And this was a testament to that. "Sir, we have to go. Cops will be here." If anything, Faust wanted to take out his pistol and shoot his bodyguards head off for interrupting his train of thought. But he submitted that he had a point and drove off.

Grappling 80 feet from the premises, Archie eyed the gold sedan. "You're not getting away from me!" Dropping down 60 feet to land defiantly on top of the hood. Giving the windshield a swift kick with his Kevlar boot, knocking the two passengers out cold. Smoke emitted from the engine. This car wasn't going anywhere and neither was Faust.

Opening the backseat door, Archie seen nothing, just blank darkness. Thinking Faust must have gotten away, Archie did a quick take around the block to make sure that wasn't the case. Angered, a mad glint in his eyes. Archie approached one of the passengers who were busy trying to crawl away from the scene. Archie kicked the man over, searching him for any weapons he could spring on him. "Where is Faust?" He said point blank, starring into the woeful muscles eyes. "I..I don't know!" He pleaded ignorance. Archie wasn't having it. He gave another kick to the ribs this time. The muscle groaned loudly. The bigger they are, the softer they act in crisis. He asked again. "Where is Faust Balbino?" Siren sounds began to fill the night air, the red and blue colors painted the brick walls. God, he hopes this guy doesn't know he is five seconds away from sanctuary. "He moves around allot, he doesn't trust anyone. Everyone wants to off him, so he doesn't stay in one place for too long, alright!" He closed his eyes, knowing his oppressor would bat him around for information he didn't have. His eyes popped open, being treated only to police officers - to his relief.


End file.
